Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-03-18

engines, stea M
OAri' NAD9' boats and electrical
machines. He used to spend much time with
the family clock, greatly to the dismay of his
mother, no doubt, and when he was II he
could pull "A patent lever watch in pieces,
clean and repair it, with all the skill of an ex-
pcfenced jcweler.
When he was - years of age his father
met with financial reverses and the boy was
forced to leave school and prepare to win his
bread and his way in life by his unaided
efforts. That same year QS}3 the family
went to st. Louis. The steamer in which
they Travelled burned in the night during the
trip, and young Eads landed i'll st Louis
without coat or shoes on the very spot now
covered by the abutments of the great steel
bridge which he many years afterward de
signed and put up
Selling apples on the streets was the way
he took to make living, for no other occu-
patton presented itself for long time, and in
this way he not only supported himself but
contributed considerably to the maintenance
of his mother and sisters. After while he
built diving bell boat for the purpose of re-
covering the cargoes of sunken steamers, and
later IA company was formed and soon its
business extended over the entire river. from
Balize to Galena, and branched out into some
of its tributaries
The following very characteristic anecdote
of Capt. Eads is taken from an admirable
sketch of his life published about year ago
in The Popular Science Monthly:
His first undertakings in the peculiar and
instructive study of hydraulics occurred while
he was constructing the first diving bell boat
not then completed A barge loaded with
Nf
upon the rapids of the Mississippi river, near
keoluk, in fifteen feet of water. A contract
was made for the recovery of this lead. He
had had no experience whatever with the
submarine armor or diving apparatus of any
kind; but, engaging a diver from the lakes
who was familiar with it, with an armor,
an air pump and a sailor skillful in
the use of rigging, he started-at that
time only - years of age-to the scene of the
wreck. Obtaining a barge this was promptly
anchored over it and preparations made for
the diver to go to work; but the current was
found so exceedingly rapid that it was i'm
possible to Use the armor with any safety. A
belt around the divers waist was attached by
a cord to the bow of the boat to hold him
against the current and a ladder procured
on which the diver undertook to descend, but
it was impossible for him to control his body
in the current Determined not to be baffied
Mr. Eads Immediately visited the town of
Keol,uk and purchased . forty gallon whisky
barrel with which To imnroyise a divine hell
With several nifs of lead secured around ono
end of tb. barrel NV a network of ro,es and
with that bend taken ont. a block and tackle
attached to the network at the other end and
n temnorary derrick erected he was s,op nre
nared To commence the recovery of the "a roo
But the diver demurred and would not de-
scend in this dangerous looking annaratus
Mr. Eads then set an examine which he ba.
followed throughout all his varied exneri.nce
as an on ineer which was meyer n
ask n man in his eIuploy to 90 where he wa.
unwilling to trust his own life The heIl tim.
suspended was held AGAINST the cnrropt bv q
rope which led mn to the how of fine barge
and a strap across the lower end of tbe i,arre
was used ms the seot for fine diver in II
He Mt once ,,ot into fine diving hell and IN.
4, rod his mon tn lower him down H., hal .
trace chain ott,ched y, a land limo tho Io,vo,
end Of fine trace chain bovin,, - ,ino in If anl
with this ne was readily enabled to form
loon which was nloc,d over ON. of tho ,,ia
of lead and at a given signal il was boiste,
nm A small cord suliced Ia draw il bac, +,
him while he was sin in th,. he'll. and in thi
manner n number of ni,rs WEIGHING spvent,
nounds eoch were recovered hnfore ba starte,
to come nn-thn air u,nn all rb. time .,,nnlv
inc him with air Rut in tbe mean Ina
| having CLEARED the snace hanaoth the bau fla,
gnv linz moved il farther and farther -,
Stream in comnliance with his SIGNALS oni
instead of the line haing slnckad ON